Indonesian Digital News Archive

Located in Canada's Nunavut territory, Baffin Island is a remote and wild place. It also happens to be the fifth largest island in the world and a fitting place for an adventure. This morning Ray Zahab and Ferg Hawke have set out to run non-stop across the island, covering roughly 100km (60 miles) in the process. Their route will take them through Akshayuk Pass, a breathtaking valley that is the remains of an ancient riverbed and is surrounded by the Baffin Mountains.

You can track their progress on BaffinRun.com and catch updates via Ray's Twitter Feed and Facebook page. Reports are also being posted to the impossible2Possible Facebook page as well.

While this will be a good challenge for these two ultra-runners, it is merely a warm-up for what lies ahead. Next year they intend to run across the Gobi Desert at it's widest point, an expedition that will cover approximately 2000km (1242 miles) through some of the most remote terrain on Earth. Because of that remote nature of the Gobi, they'll have limited opportunities for resupply which will alter the logistics of the run to a degree.

We'll learn a lot more about the expedition in March of 2013 when Ray and Ferg are expected to set out. You know we'll be following it closely.

While I was away last week the details of a major expedition, slated to get underway next year, began to emerge. In July of 2013 a team of rowers will attempt to become the first to complete a crossing of the Northwest Passage in a single season, covering roughly 3000km (1864 miles) between Pond Inlet and Tuktoyaktuk, Canada in the process.

Scheduled to get underway July 1st of next year, The Last First expedition is expected to take approximately 75 days to complete. During that time, the crew will row non-stop through some of the most challenging and treacherous waters on the planet, facing unpredictable weather, massive ice flows and frigidly cold waters along the way.

As many of you know, this type of journey wasn't even possible until recently. Changing climatic conditions have caused much of the polar ice cap to melt, opening the Passage to travel for the first time. Even with those changes however the route is only navigable for a few months each year and is still a very difficult crossing. Climate change has had a dramatic effect on the region and the crew, which consists of adventurers Kevin Vallely, Paul Gleeson, Frank Wolf, and Denis Barnett,  will witness those changes first hand as they visit remote communities along the way.

Find out more about The Last First on the expedition's website and in the video below.